Devices, Methods and Software for Centralized Session Planning While in a Dcf Mode

1. A communication device comprising: a physical medium; and a processor coupled with the physical medium, the processor: receiving a plurality of reservation request frames from a plurality of respective devices during a Centralized Contention Interval for a wireless communication channel, each reservation request frame including a return address; decoding a reservation request and the return address from each reservation request frame; determining at a Medium Access Control (MAC) sublayer based on the return addresses a schedule of transmission sessions for exchanging data with the respective devices as per the respective reservation requests; identifying one of the respective devices from the schedule as being a first one to reserve the channel; encoding the return address and a duration of a session window of the identified first device in a polling frame; acquiring control of the channel; transmitting the polling frame over the channel while in a Distribution Coordination Function (DCF) mode; and exchanging data over the channel from the identified first device during the respective session.

2. The device of claim 1 , the processor further: identifying another one of the respective devices from the schedule as being the next one; encoding the return address of the next device in a next polling frame; acquiring control of the channel; transmitting the next polling frame over the channel while in a Distribution Coordination Function (DCF) mode; and exchanging data over the channel from the identified next device during the respective session.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein receiving the data is to be within a Shot Inter-Frame Spacing (SIFS) of transmitting the polling frame.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the polling frame is a Clear To Send (CTS) frame.

5. A communication device comprising: a physical medium; and a processor coupled with the physical medium, the processor: transmitting a reservation request through a wireless communication channel during a Centralized Contention Interval; receiving a polling frame through the channel while in a Distribution Coordination Function (DCF) mode, the polling frame including a return address and a duration of a session window; decoding the return address and the duration of the session window from the polling frame; determining whether the return address from the polling frame matches an address of a Medium Access Control (MAC) sublayer of the device; and if so, transmitting data from the MAC sublayer through the channel.

6. The device of claim 5 , the processor further: discontinuing transmitting data after the session window ends.

7. The device of claim 5 , wherein transmitting the data from the MAC sublayer is to be performed within a Shot Inter-Frame Spacing (SIFS) from receiving the polling frame.

8. The device of claim 5 , wherein the polling frame is a Clear To Send (CTS) frame.

9. An article comprising: a storage medium, said storage medium having stored thereon instructions, that, when executed by at least one device, result in: receiving a plurality of reservation request frames from a plurality of respective devices during a Centralized Contention Interval for a wireless communication channel, each reservation request frame including a return address; decoding a reservation request and the return address from each reservation request frame; determining at a Medium Access Control (MAC) sublayer based on the return addresses a schedule of transmission sessions for exchanging data with the respective devices as per the respective reservation requests; identifying one of the respective devices from the schedule as being a first one to reserve the channel; encoding the return address and a duration of a session window of the identified first device in a polling frame; acquiring control of the channel; transmitting the polling frame over the channel while in a Distribution Coordination Function (DCF) mode; and exchanging data over the channel from the identified first device during the respective session.

10. The article of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further result in: identifying another one of the respective devices from the schedule as being the next one; encoding the return address of the next device in a next polling frame; acquiring control of the channel; transmitting the next polling frame over the channel while in a Distribution Coordination Function (DCF) mode; and exchanging data over the channel from the identified next device during the respective session.

11. The article of claim 9 , wherein receiving the data is within a Shot Inter-Frame Spacing (SIFS) of transmitting the polling frame.

12. The article of claim 9 , wherein the polling frame is a Clear To Send (CTS) frame.

13. An article comprising: a storage medium, said storage medium having stored thereon instructions, that, when executed by at least one device, result in: transmitting a reservation request through a wireless communication channel during a Centralized Contention Interval; receiving a polling frame through the channel while in a Distribution Coordination Function (DCF) mode, the polling frame including a return address and a duration of a session window; decoding the return address and the duration of the session window from the polling frame; determining whether the return address matches an address of a Medium Access Control (MAC) sublayer of the device; and if so, transmitting data from the MAC sublayer through the channel.

14. The article of claim 13 , wherein the instructions further result in: discontinuing transmitting data after the session window ends.

15. The article of claim 13 , wherein transmitting the data from the MAC sublayer is performed within a Shot Inter-Frame Spacing (SIFS) from receiving the polling frame.

16. The article of claim 13 , wherein the polling frame is a Clear To Send (CTS) frame.

17. A method comprising: receiving a plurality of reservation request frames from a plurality of respective devices during a Centralized Contention Interval for a wireless communication channel, each reservation request frame including a return address; decoding a reservation request and the return address from each reservation request frame; determining at a Medium Access Control (MAC) sublayer based on the return addresses a schedule of transmission sessions for exchanging data with the respective devices as per the respective reservation requests; identifying one of the respective devices from the schedule as being a first one to reserve the channel; encoding the return address and a duration of a session window of the identified first device in a polling frame; acquiring control of the channel; transmitting the polling frame over the channel while in a Distribution Coordination Function (DCF) mode; and exchanging data over the channel from the identified first device during the respective session.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising: identifying another one of the respective devices from the schedule as being the next one; encoding the return address of the identified next device in a next polling frame; acquiring control of the channel; transmitting the next polling frame over the channel while in a Distribution Coordination Function (DCF) mode; and exchanging data over the channel from the identified next device during the respective session.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein receiving the data is within a Shot Inter-Frame Spacing (SIFS) of transmitting the polling frame.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the polling frame is a Clear To Send (CTS) frame.

21. A method comprising: Transmitting, by a communication device, a reservation request through a wireless communication channel during a Centralized Contention Interval; receiving a polling frame through the channel while in a Distribution Coordination Function (DCF) mode, the polling frame including a return address and a duration of a session window; decoding the return address and the duration of the session window from the polling frame; determining whether the return address matches an address of a Medium Access Control (MAC) sublayer of the device; and if so, transmitting data from the MAC sublayer through the channel.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising: decoding a duration of a session window from the polling frame; and discontinuing transmitting data after the session window ends.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein transmitting the data from the MAC sublayer is performed within a Shot Inter-Frame Spacing (SIFS) from receiving the polling frame.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the polling frame is a Clear To Send (CTS) frame.